Improvement in dey gas-metees



@eine .taten atritt @time THOMAS C. HOPPER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. Letters Patent No. 73,332, dated January 14, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRY GAS-METERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C.. HoPPnn, of the city ot' Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Dry Gas-Meter; and I do hereby declarevthat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsruia-king a part of this specification, in which- Figures l and 2 are vertical central sections, at right angles to eachother, of the upper portion of a dry gas-meter, having my said improvement applied thereto.

Figures 3 and 4, plane views of the face sides of the valve-disks, and

' Figure 4 a side elevation of that portion of the valve which is shown by'g. 3- i Like letters of reference Vindicating' the same parts when in vthe different igures.

Myimprovement relates especially to the two-diaphragm meters, but is also applicable to those having three diaphragrns or bellows, and has for its objects the reduction of the friction of the valve, and the facilitating of the passage ot' the gas through the ways and channels, for thepurpose of improving the registration and the general action ot' the meter, especially under a very .low pressure, and the lesscning of the cost of constructing the said ways or channels.

My invention consists, substantially as hereinafter described, in producing the ways or channels for the passage ofthe gas to and from the bellows entirely on one side of the partition which separates the said bellows; in dispensing with the opening heretofore required in the centre of the valve-seat disk, by making the required opening in the form of an annular channel around near its periphery; in casting the valve-seat disk with an extension, which will form, when applied, a part of the partition between the bellows, and also a part of the ways or channels leading to and from the said bellows, on one side only of the said partition; inincreasing the capacity of the passages for the gas through the rotary disk of the valve, by an open space made between the two opposite sector-like faces of the disk and the top of the same, and communicating with an annular space around near its periphery; in the arrangement of the packing-box, so as tovuiord greater facility in rg repacking; and in carrying the rotary valve-disk, by means of a spindle, which `passes loosely through the` centre of the same, and bears in the valve-seat disk, and also has a horizontal cross-bar arranged to bear against lugs in the disk, for the purpose of rotatingvthe latter upon the seat of the valve.

Referring to the drawings, A is the partition which separates the bellows, (not shown,) a a the ways or channels leading to und from the bellows, B the rotary disk oi' the valve, B the valve-scot, und C the spindle.

The channels a a are formed in the partition-plate A by pressing that part of theplate outward on one side only, (by means of a drop-press, or otherwise,) and then. applying the seat B of the Valve, which is cast with a thin partition, b, projecting downward from the bottom of the disk, so that the said projecting portion, b, when fitted and soldered fast, will form a continuation of the fiat plane of the partitionplate A, and thus, in connection with the pressed-out portion of the plate A, produce the two ways or channels a a exclusively on one side of the said partition, and so as to communicate, respectively, with the bellows on each side of the partition, and with the valve-seat above, substantially as shown in figs. 1 and 2.

rlhe valve-seat B has an annular channelLbm, around near its periphery, which opens, through one side ofthe disk, into the outlet-pipe D of the meter, vwhile the portion which is surrounded by the said channel 5 i is divided into four openings by the crossing partitions b b, thus affording ythe two inlet and the two outleth I openings, communicating, through the valve, with the two bellows and the outlet and inlet-ways of the meter,

substantially as represented in Jrigs. 1 and 2. l

The seat B and theohannels a a, connected therewith, may be cast together complete, as one piece, and then inserted or fitted in a. corresponding opening cut through the partition b for the purpose, so as to have both ofthe said channels on the one side only of the partition, as described, and ,thus dispense with the pressing ont of the partition b at the part, for the purpose of forming 'the channels on one side only of the partition; but the iirst-described mode of producing the said channels a a is believed to be preferable, because more easily constructed.

By constructing the channels and valve-seat in either of the modes just described, there will be a saving of i material, and also a saving of the labor heretofore required in punching, iitting, and soldering fast the separate tubes or channels on opposite sides of the partition, and also a plane flat surface left on one side of the parti tion for fitting on the usual bellows-ring of Ithat side; and, besides, the present improved mode of construction gives increased capacity to the channels, and a more direct course to the valve.

The dispensing with the central opening or way heretofore made in the seat of the valve, by substituting the annular' channel W, (seo fig. 3,) allows the bearing-edges on the face ofthe scat to he made much narrower, and, at the same time, giving a larger capacity for the fion' of the gas through the seat, thus diminishing friction, a result of very great importance in a dry gas-meter.

The peculiarity of the rotary valve-disk B is in the outlet or discharge-opening 3, (see fig. 4.}` It receives the gas at l, which is an opening through the top, and, after`the gas has passed into the bellows, it is discharged at 3. In order to have thc outer ringas small as possible, to lessen friction, cast only the faces of the parts 2 i2, thus leaving an open space above them, or between the same and the top of the disk, as indicatedby the dotted lino in lig. 4, sothat thejgas coming into 23 can be discharged, through the. said spaces, which are abe-Ve 2 2, as well as at S also, into the annular' channel 4 of the disk B, thus giving a capacity for discharge equal to three-fourths of the length ofthe said annular channel 1, allowing the reducing ofthe outer circle, (or diameter of thc disk,) and consequently the friction, without reducing the capacity of the valve-disk for passing the gas.

The spindle C is reduced considerably in its diameter, in comparison with the old spindle, being onlyr about one-eighth or'three-sixtecnths of an inch, and passes loosely, through the centre of the rotary disk B, into the centre of the seat B', which latter serves as its bearing. The disk B is rotated around, with the spindle C as its centre, by means of a cross-bar, c, which is fixed horizontally through the spindle at a point alittle above `the disk B, and bears against vertical studs, d'0, fixed or cast on the disk, when the spindle is rotated. This construction prevents any lateral motion ofthe disk B, und yet holds it perfectly concentric to the spindle, and

without binding, and also admits of the thinnest possible bars and rings in both the rotary disk and the scat, giving a perfectly gas-tight face, larger gas-ways, and the least possible amount of friction,

The two disks B B et' the valve arc enclosed by a circular box, E, on the top of which is a puckingbox, F surrounding the spindle C, which extends dow-n through the same to a bearing in the seat B', and upward through the usual worm-wheel, and through the usual king-post, G, (sce fig. 2,) so as to give ample space between the worm wheel and the packing-box F for raising the packing-screw or nut in repacking without removing the king-post for the purpose, and thus facilitating the operation of repacking. l

Having thus fully described my improvement in the dry gas-meter, what I claim as new therein of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is confined to the following, viz: l

1. I claim producing both of the channels a a on the same side of the partition A, substantially as and For the purposes described.

2. I claim, in the valve-scat B', the annular channel IW', in combination with the closed centre, and narrowfaced dividing-partitions Z1 Z1 of the four openings, which arc surrounded by the said annular channel b3, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. I claim casting the seat B of the valve and the projecting of the channels a c can thereby be produced exclusively on one side of the described, and for the purposes specified;

4. I claim, in thc rotary disk B of a gas-meter, the outlet 3, incormbination-with the space above the faces 2 2, and the annular channel 4, arranged' substantially in the manner described and shown, for the purposes specied.

5. I claim passing the spindle C loosely through the rotary disk B, and substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. I claim giving rotary motion to the disk B upon the seat B", by means of the spindle C, in combination with the studs e c, fixed in the said disk B, when the spindle C passes loos-ely through B", substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. I also claim arranging the packing-box F of the Spindle C in the top of the valve-cover E, in the position shown as below the worm-wheel, for the purpose of admitting of the repacking, as occasion may require, without removing the king-post G, as described.

portion b thereof in one piece, so that both partition A, substantially as giving it a bearing in the seat- B',

cross-bnr e', tixedia the THOMAS C. HOPPER.

Witnesses BENJ. Morrison, Wn. H. Monisorv. 

